7 sessions; 40 minutes per session

1. SWBAT brainstorm ways to create a pulley drawbridge.
2. SWBAT create the illusion of brick texture.
3. SWBAT build a castle out of cardboard.
4. SWBAT use art materials safely.

1. Hot glue
2. Large ceral boxes, one per student
3. Paper towel rolls, 4 per student
4. Black tempera
6. Grey tempera
7. Small, grey sponges
8. Paint brushes
9. Box cutter (teacher use)
10. Other mixed media building supplies/decorating supplies (drawing paper, felt, scissors, glue, dowels, paper clips, yarn, hole punch, etc.)

Need these materials? Visit Blick!

Day 1: Pass out castle worksheet. Have students partner up. Give them 25 minutes to fill in the blanks and label the parts of the castle. Go over as a class.

Day 2: Give everyone a large cereal box and four paper towel tubes. Cut the boxes apart so that you have the two large sides. In the middle, draw the castle wall pattern (top embattlement part) and cut. Bend the ends and glue to the paper towel tubes.

Day 3: Paint the entire castle black, inside and out.

Day 4: Have students draw where they want their drawbridge. Cut it out for them with an exacto knife. Have students use a small, rectangular sponge to sponge print the brick pattern on the outside of their castle with grey tempera paint.

Day 5: Pull out materials for students to make their drawbridge.

Day 6-7: Trace four circles on construction paper. Cut out. Cut a slit to the center of each circle and fold in on itself to make the roof for each tower. Draw various castle details (princess, knights, dragons, etc.) to cut out and glue to the castle.

See attached rubric.

1. www.twinkl.co.uk (Website where I found the castle worksheet with blank labels)

For the partner work, I printed off the medievel castles worksheet and a copy of the smartboard file. I copied these back to back so students could use the vocabulary and definitions to label the parts of the castle on their own.

I did not give my students instructions on how to build the drawbridge. They learned about pulleys during their simple machine unit in science class. Most used paper clips to make a chain on the drawbridge, punched holes for the chain to pull through, and created an arm that turned to wind up yarn that was connected to the chains.

I did allow my students to use the glue gun on their own after I did a demonstration on how to use it, where not to touch on it, and what to do if you accidentally got hot glue on yourself.

[K-4] Students use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner

[K-4] Students know that the visual arts have both a history and specific relationships to various cultures

[K-4] Students identify specific works of art as belonging to particular cultures, times, and places

[K-4] Students understand there are various purposes for creating works of visual art

[K-4] Students understand and use similarities and differences between characteristics of the visual arts and other arts disciplines

[K-4] Students identify connections between the visual arts and other disciplines in the curriculum

Medieval Art

Texture, Rhythm/Pattern, Proportion/Size

Mixed Media, Architecture, Sculpture, Tempera

History/Social Studies, Science

Cardboard Castle Sculpture.docx
Medievel Castles.docx
Parts of a Castle.notebook